Holidays around the world

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The holidays are here and many cities and countries are in the spirit. From Rockefeller Center to the Santa Village, here is a list of some of the most interesting places to travel this season.

Photo via Flickr by Anthony Quintano

New York City

You most likely have heard of Rockefeller Center and it’s beautiful decorations. Well it is only one of the many places to visit during Christmas in New York City. Every block of New York City has its own decorations this year. Bryant Park is a small park near Times Square which has a beautiful skating rink and delicious snacks. Saks Fifth Avenue (which is actually right behind the picture shown above) has a wonderful show of lights on their building which looks like a castle in Disney. In America it is common for children and adults to receive presents on Christmas day, go to church on Christmas Eve, and place a tree in the end of November/beginning of December.

Photo via Getty Images by Vlad Fishman

Israel

Hanukkah is one of the most celebrated holiday of the season. It lasts for eight days and is celebrated in Judaism. In the second century, the Holy Land was ruled by Syrian-Greeks. They tried to force their culture onto the Jews and stop them from observing the mitzvah. A small group of Jews decided to fight and somehow they defeated the Syrian-Greeks. They rebuilt a temple in Jerusalem. The Jews tried to light a Menorah in the temple but they only had enough for it to last one day but fortunately it last eight days. During the holiday, a menorah, which contains 9 candles, is lighted. It is also filled with traditional Jewish food and a lot of gifting is involved.

Vienna Tourist Board

Austria

Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas markets) are a very common Austrian tradition. They are filled with amazing Christmas decorations, like Christmas trees and lights. Most likely, there will be delicious food to any market you find in Austria. In Vienna, the capital, the market is in front of city hall. Vienna is always a great place to visit but during the Christmas season is has some of the most extravagant decorations. You can also catch a concert at Stephansdom during Advent. The music includes classical music and traditional Christmas Carols. The cathedral is in Stephansplatz, which is a big shopping plaza. During Advent, it is tradition for families to put up Advent wreaths and decorations. On each Sunday of Advent, one candle is lit and carols are being sung.

Bethlehem is definitely a city that has a lot of tourists during Christmas. According to Christianity, this is the birthplace of Jesus, who is celebrated on Christmas day. There are many services held in this town, one of which is in Manger Square (exact location where Jesus was born).

Photo via Getty Images by Sue Barr

Kwanza (USA)

Kwanza is another holiday that honors African culture and heritage. It is celebrated on December 26th to January 1st. It is not a religious holiday and many celebrating are Christians, Jews, Muslims, etc. It is a young tradition, which has only been celebrated since 1966.

Theme Parks in Florida are very famous for their unique Christmas decorations this season. At the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Hogwarts is decorated and has lights that are lit at night. There is also a Macys Holiday Parade at Universal Studio and live performances from best-selling holiday Artists. At Islands of Adventures, which is connected with Universal, you can go have breakfast with the Grinch and other characters from the movie. You can also catch a live show of the Grinch at an area in Islands called Who-ville.

Photo: https://santaclausvillage.info

Rovaniemi, Finland

The town of Rovaniemi is very unique during the holidays. It is actually Santa Clauss home town. Mainly because there is a Santa Village there. The Christmas resort offers many accommodations and you can even cross into the Arctic Circle. You can stay in regular hotels and even in a glass igloo! You can visit Santa and his elves because their office is located there.